Let Me Live My Life

How I Learned To Admire Vulnerability

There are a lot of things in life that I find easy, but the one thing that I have consistently found difficult is allowing myself to be vulnerable. I thought of it as a weakness until I met someone recently that was so pure with their emotions, that I started to find beauty in it.

Have you ever met someone and immediately knew you were going to connect with them? Or maybe the opposite happened and you automatically knew you could not trust someone even though they’ve done nothing wrong. You feel this way because you are sensing their energy. Some people carry good vibes, some have bad, and every once in a while, someone’s energy connect with yours and draws you into them. The person I recently met had the type of energy that drew me in. The energy was so genuine and pure that I wanted more.

But why would I be drawn to someone that exudes such rawness if I view vulnerability as a character flaw? At first I didn’t understand it. But eventually I realized that my being was lacking vulnerability and found comfort in this person’s energy that was intensely vulnerable.

In a world full of people that think it’s cool to not get attached or show emotion, I began to appreciated a person that poured out raw emotion. I knew I didn’t have to ever wonder if this person was lying about their feelings or hiding anything. I knew whatever this person said was from a genuine heart and I felt relieved.

I quickly learned that I was wrong all along. Being vulnerable is not a weakness, it is a strength. It takes courage to speak our truths, admit feelings, make decisions that others don’t understand, or go for something that you might fail at. Whenever we put our ideas on the table at a job, school, or wherever, we open ourselves to judgement, criticism, and disapproval. It hurts when people don’t think our ideas are good enough.

Beyond professional aspirations, we take a huge risk when being vulnerable in our personal relationships. What if you tell someone you like them and they don’t feel the same? What if you care too much and look too needy? What if you get too attached because you put yourself out there and it doesn’t work? What if your heart gets broken?

These are all thoughts that used to run through my head. I thought they were protecting me, but they were actually stopping me from getting the things I wanted. Sure, I avoided being hurt in that moment. In the long run though, I never got to see what could have been.

If you want to make changes in life, no matter what area it may be, you have to have courage. Making a big decision or taking a risk requires vulnerability. When you don’t have it, you hold yourself back.

I’m not saying I am a pro at being vulnerable because I met this person and altered my perspective. I still have insecurities and struggle with showing emotions. However, I have taken the first steps at changing because I was shown the strength of vulnerability. Once you start to embrace it, you find something liberating about it.

So, the next time you are contemplating whether or not to tell someone you like them, whether to approach your boss with your new idea, or whatever risk it may be, I challenge you to go for it. I promise that whatever the outcome is, you will be okay. You may be hurt, but you will be happy that you did it.